Parents’ support worth £7.6 billion to first-time buyers
Young adults trying to get on the property ladder are receiving a major boost from their parents, with free accommodation valued at an average of £160 a week. According to research by estate agent Savills, the so-called 'Hotel of Mum and Dad' provided the equivalent of £7.6 billion in rent-free accommodation to first-time buyers who purchased homes in 2025.
The figures, carried by regional outlets including Bristol Post, Cambridge Evening News, and Plymouth Live, highlight the growing importance of living with parents for young people struggling to save a deposit while facing soaring rents and other household bills.
Savills estimates that around 254,000 first-time buyers were living at home before buying their property in 2025. On average, they spent three years and seven months living rent-free with their families, with that accommodation calculated to be worth £160 a week.
The research found that 63% of first-time buyers had benefited from living at home rent-free for a period to help them save for a deposit. In London, where house prices and rents are particularly high, that figure rises to 71%. For a significant number, the arrangement lasts for years rather than months: more than a quarter (27%) said they had lived at home rent-free for at least five years.
Family support as a route to homeownership
Lucian Cook, head of residential research at Savills, said: "For many first-time buyers, the ability to live at home rent-free has become one of the most important forms of family support in the journey to homeownership. While attention often focuses on direct financial gifts, the value of reduced housing costs over several years of living with family can be just as significant in helping buyers build a deposit."
Cook added that the research shows just how heavily first-time buyers are relying on this support, particularly in higher-value areas.
The figures underline how difficult it can be for young adults to save enough money to buy a home without family support, as noted in the reporting by Essexlive and Teessidelive. For those paying hundreds of pounds a month in rent, moving back in with parents can allow a much greater proportion of their income to be put towards a deposit.
Unequal access to the housing ladder
While the research highlights the benefits of parental support, it also points to a widening reliance on family wealth. As the Grimsby Telegraph and Somerset Live noted, those without a spare room or the ability to live rent-free face a much tougher struggle to save for a deposit.
The Daily Post and Hull Daily Mail echoed this, framing the findings as a reminder of the twin challenge of high rents and deposit saving. Parents with the means to help can tip the balance between buying and renting, but the opportunity is not available to everyone.
The Savills research, reported across the Evening Chronicle, Daily Post, Kentlive, and South Wales Echo, does not offer a breakdown of how many first-time buyers have no access to such support. But the overall picture, as described by Cook, suggests that family assistance—whether through free housing or direct gifts—has become a central part of the journey to homeownership.
Looking ahead
As house prices and rents continue to outpace wage growth, the role of family support is likely to remain a key factor in determining who can afford to buy. The Savills figures, cited by all 12 regional outlets covering the story, provide a monetary value to what has often been an invisible form of assistance.
For policymakers, the findings may raise questions about how to support first-time buyers who do not have access to the 'Bank of Mum and Dad'—or, in this case, the Hotel of Mum and Dad.